Battery drain ??

[rnstout356]

I have a '91 964. After repeated battery discharges, I finally started to trace the problem. I have 5.2 amp (!) load with everything off. I have pulled every fuse and relay and still have the mystery load.

Searching the forums, the climate control fan seems like a possible culprit, but isn't that on a fuse? 5 amps seems pretty high for a little fan. Others have found flaky courtesy light switches, but aren't these fused too?

How do you get the climate control unit out of the dash? I can unlock it and get it out about 4 inches, but the turn signal stem interferes with it coming all the way out.

Any other ideas what may be drawing so much current?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ToreB]

I'm pretty sure that it's not the Climate Control Unit, a faulty transistor inside can make the unit (and fan) not to shut down after ignition off. But that would only introduce a 0,5A current draw, not ten times more.
You'll find details on this fault and how to mend it here.
You get the CCU out by pushing the wiper stalk to the fastest position and pull the unit out using normal Blaupunkt tools (or made from a coat hanger) The CCU is fused by Fuse 1, 17 and 28.

Maybe there's a short in the starter or in the generator circuits? Just a thought.
Cheers,
Tore

[rnstout356]

Originally Posted by ToreB

I'm pretty sure that it's not the Climate Control Unit, a faulty transistor inside can make the unit (and fan) not to shut down after ignition off. But that would only introduce a 0,5A current draw, not ten times more.
You'll find details on this fault and how to mend it here.
You get the CCU out by pushing the wiper stalk to the fastest position and pull the unit out using normal Blaupunkt tools (or made from a coat hanger) The CCU is fused by Fuse 1, 17 and 28.

I don't hear the fan with the igition off. It turns out the Ford radio tool works just fine.

Since my first post, I've disconnected the B+ wire at the starter and at the alternator. Still have 5.15 Amp draw. The only thing I can think of is the B+ has thinned the insulation somewhere, but I traced it from the battery through the grommet from the trunk to where it enters the firewall and out from the grommet in the back to the starter. I took off every clamp so the wire was in air and still have the draw. I am puzzled.

[rnstout356]

Here is what I did to try to find my phantom load:

Attached meter from "-" to ground. Reads 5.2 Amps with everything off.

Did the following with no change:
Removed the pair of smaller Red wires from + terminal
Removed every fuse and relay (one at a time) from the front fuse box
watching the meter
Removed every fuse and relay (one at a time) from the rear fuse box
watching the meter
--- So it must be somewhere either before the fuses or an unfused circuit.
Removed the radio
Removed both Black and Red wires from Starter
Removed Red wire from Alternator
Removed all the clamps from Starter back to grommet where wires go into
body looking for places where the insulation may have rubbed.
Traced wire from + at battery through grommet out of trunk to grommet into
firewall. Removed wire from clamps looking for places where the insulation may have rubbed.
Unplugged and removed Alarm box

If I can figure out how to get to the ignition switch, I'll look at that.

If I measure the resistance from the + terminal of the battery cable to ground it starts at 0 and over about 5 seconds builds to 2 ohms - sort of like charging a capacitor.

I am baffled. Are there any fuses in parallel (doesn't seem they would do their job if so) that would support the load if another fuse was pulled?

[mamut]

Did you found the problem??Stefan.

[tasracer]

Door switch

[fleetline51]

Originally Posted by tasracer

Door switch

5.2 Amp load from "door switch"? Nah

Best Regards,

Tony